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Monte carlo simulation of diffusion-limited drug release from finite fractal matrices

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Abstract

How fast can drug molecules escape from a controlled matrix-type release system? This important question is of both scientific and practical importance, as increasing emphasis is placed on design considerations that can be addressed only if the physical chemistry of drug release is better understood. In this work, this problem is studied via Monte Carlo computer simulations. The drug release is simulated as a diffusion-controlled process. Six types of Menger sponges (all having the same fractal dimension, d f = 2.727, but with different values of random walk dimension, d w ∈ [2.028, 2.998]) are employed as models of drug delivery devices with the aim of studying the consequences of matrix structural properties (characterized by d f and d w ) on drug release performance. The results obtained show that, in all cases, drug release from Menger sponges follows an anomalous behavior. Finally, the influence of the matrix structural properties on the drug release profile is quantified.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Química, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana—Iztapalapa, P.O. Box 55-534, 09340, Mexico City, Mexico

    Rafael Villalobos, Salomón Cordero & Armando Domínguez

  2. División de Estudios de Posgrado (Tecnología Farmacéutica), Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán/UNAM, Cuautitlán Izcalli, Estado de Mexico, Mexico

    Rafael Villalobos & David Quintanar

  3. Departamento de Física, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, 5700, San Luis, Argentina

    Ana M. Vidales

Authors
  1. Rafael Villalobos
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  2. Ana M. Vidales
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  3. Salomón Cordero
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  4. David Quintanar
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  5. Armando Domínguez
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Villalobos, R., Vidales, A.M., Cordero, S. et al. Monte carlo simulation of diffusion-limited drug release from finite fractal matrices. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 37, 195–199 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-005-6628-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-005-6628-8

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